Mr. Mink and his groomsmen arrived at our venue just before a massive hail storm moved through the area. Knowing they were getting ready while we watched the storm, I sent Sister Mink to the groom’s loft with my gift for Mr. Mink.
My gift to Mr. Mink was a nod to all the gifts he’s given me in recent years. I have a thing for a particular jewelry designer, David Yurman, and every year, Mr. Mink gives me a piece of it for my birthday or for Christmas. He jokes that he never expected to have someone he considered to be “his” jeweler, but he’s become friends with the woman at the store where he buys my gifts.
Originally, I thought it would be very fitting if Mr. Mink picked out a wedding band that was designed by David Yurman, but he didn’t wind up liking any of the ones he saw. I decided that I had to give him his first piece of Yurman, so I bought him a set of cuff links as a wedding present. For fun, I also bought a pair of socks by his favorite clothing company, Tommy Bahama, and made an “in case of cold feet” label for them.
Months before the wedding, while on a walk with Junior Mink, Mr. Mink told me that I should write a little list of wedding traditions and practices that he should know. I knew that he wasn’t aware that some couples exchange wedding gifts and I deliberately didn’t tell him. I felt like he had done so many wonderful things throughout our planning process that I didn’t need a present. So I kept quiet and was excited about the idea of surprising him.
This image of Mr. Mink pouring beer in his new socks cracks me up every time I see it.
Mr. Mink said that as they were starting to get ready, he said it’d be nice to have a beer, and as if on cue, someone from the venue came up the stairs with a bin full of ice and beer. Mr. Mink had delivered some special beer to the venue the day before and was happy to see his Tripel Karmeliet in the bin.
Then it was time to get down to business.
That’s GM Blue, Dr. Bridesmaid’s husband.
Yeah, business.
Did anyone else surprise their groom with a present? Was anyone surprised by their groom on the big day?
All images by Elisa B Photography
Did you miss a Merry Mink recap?
@Mrs. Castle: I totally encourage his Tommy Bahama habit. 
@Miss Toadstool: He’s a total goof for cameras. I’m sure I’ll be able to share more of him cheesing it up.
The photo at the end of this post is priceless! He looks so happy!
Great post…
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the “cold feet” socks… sorry but this is sooo good that I am going to steal this idea for my own Wedding (Mr TTR and I are Eloping to a Destination Wedding on the Beach, and he is adamant about wearing his flip-flops… fine with me, because they are “so him”)
BUT I am gonna get him a pair of unique socks, and tell him he can put ‘em on if he gets “cold feet”
Too funny !!
Sidebar… Mr TTR likes to call fancy socks “Christmas Socks” (cause when he was a kid he got fancy socks for Christmas)… so all the more fitting your story / tradition… as we’ll be getting married over the Christmas Holidays.
As I said I LOVE the whole idea.
So thanks for sharing this FABULOUS Story and AWESOME pics.
Love this little sneak peek into Mr. Mink’s pre-wedding moments. He is a ham! Yes, I agree with you – that photo of him in the socks pouring the beer is just great! Now I’m craving a good beer…
Mr. PaC totally surprised me. The stinker.
the cold feet socks are amazing, such a great idea. I always love your posts, everything’s always so well thought out
I love the socks and beer shot! Such a perfect insight to the moment.
Mrs. Mink, Charlottesville, Virginia Age and Occupation: 34, College Administrator Fiance's Age and Occupation: 40, Craft Beer Consultant Engagement Date: November 26, 2010 Wedding Date: June 2012 Venue: Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards About Me: I left a pre-war brownstone in Boston six years ago to live in a funky, Southern city where Thomas Jefferson, Dave Matthews, and urban chicken keepers enjoy equal social standing. I still love my Patriots and Red Sox, but have fallen in love with Virginia. I work in education and specialize in integrating technology into my work to improve the student experience. I’m a diehard blogger, animal lover, jamband follower, and DIYer. I paint to relax and have transferred by energy from home projects to wedding projects in recent months. When Mr. Mink and I started talking about marriage, we knew our wedding would be outdoors, that my golden retriever would be part of the day, and that the music would be fantastic. We’ve taken a few risks during our planning process and we’ve been enjoying the process immensely!
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